I'm sure the people who have been trying to get ahold of him for months now appreciate that he would respond to Dobber in less then a day. If that is the explaination that he gave you then he is a liar. Although I can't prove that "his friend is coming over to his house to use his internet and that is why theu have the same IP address" what you are telling me is that at the same time Brandon Smith disappears from the fantasy map with a lot of other people's money that all of a sudden a friend of his starts coming over to his house to use his computer and starts to advertise the start up of new money league? Somebody would have to be extremely naive to accept that. What I can prove is that he lied about what money he owes. If he told you that the total monies owed is only $1400 then that is a lie. One league was a 28 team league with $50 a pop entry fee. That is 1400 right there. That does not count at least 5 basball leagues and a football league. Those are just the ones off the top of my head. Unfortunately he deleted some of the leagues and I have been trying to get all the pule pieces together. This is not a witch hunt. You people have only come in at the middle of the story. This has been ongoing since the summer. The only reason that I have spoken up now is that he is starting new leagues when money has yet to be paid to the people who are owed it and I did not want to see these people end up in the same position.

"Screwed" is not an appropriate word. Sorry. Should he have communicated? Yes. Do we know the exact reason why he didn't? No. Is there a reason that exists that may explain the lack of communication? Yes. So let's give a friend the benefit of the doubt.

Scenario: cancer diagnosis at the end of September. Surgery in October. Recovery ever since. Should he hop online, in between radiation sickness pukes, and explain why he didn't pay someone their $500 prize, when he spent that money on the surgery?

Just giving you an example. Again, I don't know what happened (and I hope it wasn't as bad as that) and I won't ask. But you'll feel pretty crappy if something like that scenario was the actual case and you're riding him like that.


Why "Screwed" is an inappropriate term: My league that I run is done in April and in June. They get their prize money in September. They get their prize money five months after they win it - and you're trying to plead your case over having to wait two months? So am I jerk for waiting five months each year to pay?

"Shake is a big boy and should be fighting his own battles here"

Again - if you have something serious hit your life, do you owe a bunch of forum people an explanation right away? Or can they wait a few weeks? I'm not fighting his battle, I'm helping you out by letting you rest easy. He says he'll pay. Let's give him time to.

I'd fight the same battle on your behalf too, as a well-respected forum member. I'm equally loyal to all you guys who have been around awhile.

__________________
DobberHockey Rules
14 Team Keeper, points only, best 12 skaters 2 dman 2 G count. Playoffs count.
F - Crosby, C.Smith, Wheeler, Parenteau, Hudler, Clowe, Grabovski, Atkinson, Frolik, S. Kostitsyn, Marchand, Peverley, Tavares, Read, Brouwer, Bickell, Gionta, Setoguchi
G - Anderson, Hiller, Markstrom, Brodeur
D - Letang, Del Zotto, I. White, Kronwall, Brodin, Nikitin

Let me ask you something Dobber:

In between when your league ends and when you make the payout, do you delete the league? Do you delete your league just before the playoffs start like he did with one of his baseball leagues?

Let me give you another scenario: You find out you have cancer in September, In October you have surgery. In November you come onto the Dobberboards and advertise that you are starting a new money league when you haven't communicated or paid back what is owed in several other leagues.

Again I will say that I have been dealing with these issues for months, not a couple weeks. I have people calling me at all hours of the day from leagues that I was in and leagues that I was not in asking what is going on and accusing me of being part of the scam. I was Brandon's biggest defender. I offered to make all the payouts out of my own pocket because I trusted that Brandon would pay me back because I considered him a friend. When he told me that he spent the money I told him he should have just been honest from the start and that people would understand. I told him I would send him money to help him out. This is not a witch hunt. I have been sitting and waiting for months with this issue with no comment. My problem arose when it became apparent that he was starting new leagues when he had not yet dealt with the old ones. My problem is also with the fact that I believe that he is creating leagues under an assumed identity, you may believe the story about his friend coming over to use his computer, to me that is naive. I now have a problem with him lying about how much money he owes. It is more than the figure that he gave you. So instead of coming clean and being honest he is continuing to lie. He turned his back on people that he has know for far longer than this website has existed. I don't care how many posts somebody has that doesn't excuse the behaviour.

Sounds like he used the money for medical bills, and is trying to dig himself out of the hole that left by making some bad decisions (and starting other leagues). It sounds like - and I'm only guessing - that he needs our help, our understanding, and a bit of time.

Is anyone down more than 50 bucks entry fee? I mean, besides winning prize money. I'm talking about only what you put in. Let's put the pitchforks and torches away and let's give the guy a month. Bring the torches and pitchforks back out in a month or so. I'll ask him to explain - though I wouldn't be shocked if he was afraid to, given the two or three guys on here and what they're saying.

Also, if you come up with a "fake" friend to cover off your league, wouldn't you make up a better name then "Jase"? LOL

__________________
DobberHockey Rules
14 Team Keeper, points only, best 12 skaters 2 dman 2 G count. Playoffs count.
F - Crosby, C.Smith, Wheeler, Parenteau, Hudler, Clowe, Grabovski, Atkinson, Frolik, S. Kostitsyn, Marchand, Peverley, Tavares, Read, Brouwer, Bickell, Gionta, Setoguchi
G - Anderson, Hiller, Markstrom, Brodeur
D - Letang, Del Zotto, I. White, Kronwall, Brodin, Nikitin

I was in 3 leagues with Shakedown in 2011 and ended up in the money in a couple of them. The regular season ended in early April and I didn't get paid my prize money until July. I did get paid in full but it took three months and repeated emails from me reminding him that he still owed me money. His reason for not paying as soon as the season ended? Some of the guys in the leagues hadn't paid their entry fees. Hmm, maybe but I doubt it. And all this happening prior to September. Shakedown has some real issues with money management, that's for sure.

__________________
I went to a fight the other night and a hockey game broke out.
- Rodney Dangerfield

I commish a few leagues and am in others and people not paying on time is a huge problem, even among friends/coworkers. I tell winners up front they don't get their money until everyone pays and I make it clear to everyone who is on the hook for league fees so everyone feels shame. My baseball league didn't get paid out until this weekend and my other league still has 5 owners who owe so lets not jump the gun here because you didn't get a fat check the day after the season ended.

I really didn't want to get involved in this but feel I have to voice my experience given we have Dobber asking people "to give him another month". Dobber, I love where you heart's at in this, but I think you're being naive because you haven't experienced any of this.

I met Shakedown (Brandon) on this community over 4 years ago. Since then I've joined 5 leagues that he originally started, most recent was the CDHL this past summer. Being the accute fantasy GM that I am (trying to lighten the mood), I won a few leagues and Brandon has ALWAYS paid me in full in a timely manner.

Having said that, he quit every single league he originally started. I recently quit the CDHL because I was getting very suspicious about his behaviour...and got my $50 entry fee as soon as "Jase - Oldskoolhcky" took over that league.

Much like Frost, I was Brandon's biggest supporter. I also considered him a close "online community" friend and was even friends with him on Facebook. Well within the last 6 months, he removed our friend status on Facebook, he deleted all of his email accoutns, cell phone, and went completely incognito on this forum. At the same time, he was quitting the CDHL league where he had amassed $1400 in entry fees and it looks as though "Jase - Oldskoolhcky" is setting up leagues that are eerilly similar to Brandon's versions.

Hearing some of these horror stories is quite appauling. Rather than having you step up for him Dobber, I'd really like to hear straight from Brandon. If he is able to get in touch with you he is able to come on here and explain.

If he does not, I fear that the authorities will get involved. Not by my account as I have no issues however I have heard of overs who are considering pursuing this.

If you are that tight/trusting of Brandon, you should let him know this.

__________________
10-team Auction League, $160 team salary, weekly H2H, start: 6F, 4D, 1G and 5 Bench

Scoring structure: (F : 1pt G / 1pt A / 0.15pts SOG / 0.15pts Hits / 0.15pts BlkS), (G : 5 pts W / 3 pts SO / 0.01 pts Saves)

Forwards : Ovechkin ($41), Kovalchuk ($24), Kessel ($18), E. Kane ($13), Benn ($5), Sharp ($11), Pominville ($1), Dupuis ($2), Whitney ($2)

Defenses : Letang ($24), Byfuglien ($6), Markov ($1), Bogosian ($1), McDonagh ($2)

Goalies : Schneider ($7), Bobrovsky ($1)

I really should mind my own business as I am not part of any of these leagues and don't know any of the individuals involved.

But IF someone is currently setting up new leagues in order to pay their debts from past leagues, that's a classic (though presumably small-scale) Ponzi scheme.

__________________
12-Team Keeper. Points Only. Top 13 skaters (2D min.) + 1 goalie count. 2 UFAs (24 yr. +). Keep 24. 3 round yearly draft. G=1, A=1, W=2, OTL= 1, SO=2. Points carry over.
F= Getzlaf, Toews, Spezza, Tavares, Seguin, Nash, Weiss, O. Jokinen, Wheeler, Callahan, Wilson, Little, Kulemin, Michalek, Frattin, Strome, S. Koivu.
D= Karlsson, Yandle, Goligoski, Fowler, Elliott, Whitney, Kulikov.
G= Lundqvist, Pavelec.

I like how I ask people to give Shakedown the benefit of the doubt and give him one month. And then more people jump in with more negatives. Thank you fellas for your leap of faith. Thread closed.


He has passed on commish control of the league in question to me. Any further bashing of Shakedown is now bashing me. And I assure you, I won't sit idly by while you bash me.


VinceVega - Again, this is based on my own league in which people get paid five months after the season ends - your two cents about being paid three months later won't get sympathy here. You were paid before September, good enough for this guy.

kenzle - Jase is his friend. Sounds like you have a problem with Jase. Feel free to open up a Jase thread and air your griefs.

Thunder - well duh.


Shakedown denies starting any new leagues. Completely false. Jase may have started a couple but I don't know Jase from a hole in the ground.

He was about to post something but then saw the latest newer posts here and chickened out. I don't blame him. I'm surprised at the community here, frankly. But I'll remind myself it's just a couple of people and not the community at large.

I actually got a private message from someone with the subject line "fraud". Really? Fraud? For five months of paying back only half the league, and owing the other half? Not the greatest commissioner, obviously, but nowhere near that fraud line.

__________________
DobberHockey Rules
14 Team Keeper, points only, best 12 skaters 2 dman 2 G count. Playoffs count.
F - Crosby, C.Smith, Wheeler, Parenteau, Hudler, Clowe, Grabovski, Atkinson, Frolik, S. Kostitsyn, Marchand, Peverley, Tavares, Read, Brouwer, Bickell, Gionta, Setoguchi
G - Anderson, Hiller, Markstrom, Brodeur
D - Letang, Del Zotto, I. White, Kronwall, Brodin, Nikitin